Partition sheet



A. M. MARTIN ARTITIoN SHEET Filed Dec. 16, 1929 April 19, 1932,

o @e we oe ooo ooeo? o oeceoeoeeoeeoeo een w ril Patented Apr. 19, 1932 .ALFRED M. MARTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PARTITION SHEET Application led December 16, 1929. SerialNo. 414,285. I Y

These improvements relate to what are own as partition sheets or division sheets for loose-leaf binders.

My Patent No. 1,269,479 of June 11, 1918 on loose-leaf binders shows a type of looseleaf binder with which the present partition sheet is peculiarly advantageous. In that patent Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a form of partition sheets described therein as an indexed 10 leaf for separating the account leaves.

The account leaves referred to in said patent are the sheets or cards on which the record is kept. They are of various sizes and are usually of strong paper stock of ordinary thickness. Their depth (from'top to bottom) is suchthat they may be applied to the binder prongs in overlapped relation with a. narrow portion of each card exposed, thus forming a series of such cards from top to bottom of the binder. Such overlapping of the cards causes the thickness of the series to build up gradually in the direction in which the cards or sheets are applied, reaching its maximum where there is al maximum of such cards overlapping each other,v the thickness then diminishing toward the opposite end of the series. Ordinarily the greatest thickness of the series develops in the central portion, measuring from top to bottom. v

A single binder may contain a large number of such series of overlapped sheets,rsay twenty-five or more. With the ordinary flat division or partition sheets between'these respective series the book or binder device may be filled solidly throughout the middle portion thereof while at the top and bottom portions there is considerable free space between the covers. This arises from the fact that at the very top and at the very bottom of the device there may be only say twenty-five of the cards between the two'outer covers, while at the same time there may be in the middle two hundred and fifty or more of such cards between the opposed covers. y

My Patent No. 1,663,017 of March 20', 1928, entitled Partition sheets for loose-leaf devices illustrates, describesV and claims another form of partition sheet in which the eifective thickening of the upper and lower portions ofthe sheets is accomplishedv by embossing in various ways sheet material of uniform thickness.

y copending application Serial N o. 365,853 filed May 25, 1929 on Vpartition 5g, sheets for binders shows an integral 'device aving continuous upper and lower surfaces and in which the character of the Vmaterial used permits of such an advantageous c0nstruction. y

My copending application Serial N o. 406,589 filed November 12, 1929 on partition sheets, shows a sheet having Vseparately formed spacer elements and aoovering sheet or sheets providing smooth and even upper and lower surfaces.

The main object of the present improvements, like that of the device of Figs. 8 and 9 of my first-mentioned patent and that of the other devices referred to, is to provide a division or partition sheet for; such uses which will occupy space between adjacent sertes of the overlapped cards, preferably at both the top and bottom portions of the overlapping series, whereby each series will be maintained more nearly fiat when the book is opened and therefore be more free of the upwardly bulging effect of the middle portion of the serieswith certain advantages in practice such as a more free movement of the cards on the binder prongs, (the cards being relieved of a certain objectionable binding thereon due to the curvature of the series as pointed out), and since the cards or sheets or account leaves lie more approxi- G5 mately flat, the making of notations thereon is facilitated, and, further, one or several complete series of record cards or sheets may be moved bodily or en masse from one side of the book to the other more freely and 0o more easily.

In this connection it may be mentioned that the maintenance of such a flat surface at the top of the series is of particular advantage in the act of writing on the upper cards since otherwise this upper portion of the series would slope downward and away from the writer. Such a slope may be to quite a great extent; for instance there may be a difference of more thanan inch and a half between the the sheet complete in thickness at the middle and at the ends in a binder designed for two-inch capacity.

More specific objects are to provide the advantages of a smooth writing surface in such a thickened sheet, and according to a construction which is simple, of light weight, and of low cost; also to add thickness by an additional ply f the material; also to add strength; and also to provide certain advantages in handling.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a face view of what for purposes of this specification I shall term the preferred form as it appears before a final folding operation;y Fifr. 2 is a similarv view showing a modification :Fig 3 is an enlarged longitudinal side edge view o-f the structure of Fig. 2 with the end members folded over; Fig. 4 is a similar edge view of the device of Fig. 1;. Fig. 5 is a small fragmentary view showing another modification, with an integral leaf or flapv member open position; Fig. 6 is a small fragmentary face view of another modification in which the auxiliary sheet is not integral with the body sheet; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vie-w similar to Fig.. 4 of, a modified form of the device of Fig., 1 showing a flap or cover part of reduced dimensions.

Referring to- Figs. 1 and 4 the partition sheet 10V has an upper fol-d at 11, a lower fold at 12, an inner edge 13 and an louter edge 14 defining a substantially rectangular shape for face view when in folded position of I*`i, g;.A 4.` The terms upper, lower`etc. refer to positions when the sheet is normally ina binder.

Alon-g the edge 13 is a row of perforations 15 for hol-ding the sheet on the binder prongs.

The'blank of Fig.` 1 comprises a middle body partf16, an upper body part 17 and a lower body part. 18. Integral with. the upper part or portion 17 is a wing-like or iaplike extension 19 which is preferably substantially coextensive with part 17. At the lower; end there is a similar wing, orv flap 20.

Such` fiaps or extensions as: 19. and 2O may vary in length', namely iny the normally upand-down directions of the sheet,.within reasonable limits. The proportions for them shown' inV Fig.;1 will be found satisfactory. The smooth writing surface is particularly needed, however, at eitherl one or the-other of' the extreme end portions of the device, and the flap may be much shorter than. as

shown in 1 and? 2*, forrexampleV asshown in Fig. 7 where the iap 19a having projections 211@ provides: a; smooth construction at the extreme ,end portion while buildingv up thicknessy where iti is mosty needed. A preferred constructicmV in this respect would be to follow Fig.` 2` asfto the' area of theend portion` coveredL by the projectionsas 30, with the flap 33 shortened: to say the distance marked 33a in F'g. 2*, thus providing a cover for'V merely the extreme end portion of the Y upper edge Aline 35 and main sheet body. These extensions are folded over face to face with the body of the sheet whereby the extension 19 overlies the upper end part or portion 17 and the fiap or extension 2O similarly overlies the lower end part or portion 18 as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 the iiaps 19 and 2() are provided substantially over their whole general areas respectively with integral projections which are preferably arranged in up-and-down lines, meaning lines substantially parallel with the side edges 13 and 14 this arrangementnraking for greater flexibility than if the projections were staggered relative to each other;

On the cover 19 the projection elements marked 21 are of reduced diameter and of reduced elevation in thel direction from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1, so that when flap 19 is fol-ded over on line 11 the thickness4 of 'the upper end part or portion of the sheet as a whole gradually increases from the middle portion of the sheet toward the upper edge 11, as shown in Fig. 4.

On flap 19 I have also shown a few continuous rib-like projections marked 22, as a construction alternative to the circular spacedapart projections 21.

The flap or cover element 2O of Figs. 1 and 4 shows integral pressed-up projections 24 which are all of the same diameter and of the same elevation. Fig. 4 shows the end portion for the sheet to be of uniform thickness except that the inner edge portion 20?), being free of the projections 24, ing surface providing a somewhat gradual thickening of the construction at that place. rlhe construct-ion at the left-hand end of Fig, 4 is quite satisfactory in practice, al-

though the construction at the right-hand i end thereof will ordinarily be preferred.

In Figs. 2 andv 3 the main body is divided into three principal parts 160;, 17 a and 13a and these upper and lower end parts or portions 17 a and 18a are provided with thickeningelevations 30 and 31 respectively which may be deemed to be in all respects the same as projections 21 and 24 respectivelyof Fig. 1.

|Ihe integral leaf-like or flap-like parts 33 and 34 are flat and free of projections, like and fold over on the the lower edge line respectively so as to overlie the end portions 17@ and 18a of the body.

the middle portion 16a,

Figs. 3 and 4 show a difference in the div rection of folding over of the flaps, or in the direction in which the spacing projections made to extend, withv the result that in Fig.V 4 the spacing elements 21 and 24 are within the opposed face surfaces defining the thickened areas while in Fig. 3 the cover or flap.- elements 33` and 34 lie flat aga-inst the main body with. the projections 30 and 31 extending outward from the end portions respectively.

provides a slant- Y and more or less unsatisfactory at the extremeV At 38, Fig. 2, I have shown the inner edge portion of the flap-like part 34 cut away whereby the flap 34 is free of the prong holes I make this omission at one place merely to show that the device is practical without having the prongs extend through any of the leaf-like parts. The construction of Fig. 1 in this respect is preferable, however, since the sheet as a whole is thereby strengthened by a double thickness of the sheet-material at places where engaged by the prongs, and the prongs also tend to hold the flaps in position during the manipulation of the sheets, as in moving them from one side of the book to the other on the prongs.

Referring to Fig. 5 the main body of the sheet is divided into an upper section 40, a middle section 41 and a lower section 42 and the flap-like part 43 is integral with the body at the line 44 at one side edge. It folds over face to face with the part 40. The thickening projections marked 45 may be deemed to be in accordance with those marked 24 in Figs. 1 and 4. y

Fig. 6 may be deemed to be in accordance with Fig. 5 except that the flap-like part 50, broken away at the corner` 51, is a separate piece and is secured by adhesive 52Y along facing edge portions of the main body and the cover 50. The cover 50 is lprovided with elongated and tapering spacing elements 53 like the elements 22 in Fig. 1.

My Patent 1,663,017 mentioned shows much of the subject matter hereof as to the main body of the device, but it does not show the overlying cover elements. What I aim to accomplish according to the present improvements over the advantages patent is first the provision of a smooth surface for the upper and lower end portions of the sheet whereby writing may be done to better advantage at these upper and lower portions where the thickness of the cards, sheets or account leaves will consist of only a single sheet at the extreme ends followed by a thickness of two sheets, then three sheets, and so on.

The occasion for this improvement arises largely from the fact that entries are made by pen directly upon these account leaves in the book, and such an uneven surface for the backing sheet as is provided by the device of my said patent renders such writing difficult top and bottom portions of the sheet material in the book. I/Vith such a cover element as is herein provided for the integral projections the objection referred to is avoided. When the liaplike cover is folded along the upper edge of the body, as on the lines 11, 12 and 35, 36, the creasing of the sheet Vmaterial stiii'ens it considerably and aids in producing a very satisfactory support for the sheet or sheets to be written upon.

Another advantage of the construction is of my said ous and unbroken projections as 21, 22, 24, 30H70 and 31, especially when formed without a special treatment of the paper, and such special treatment is preferably to be avoided in the interest of economy.

c Another advantage is in the provision of a`-^ strong edge portion at the top and bottom of the sheet as a whole when in the book. It is the habit of the operator to use the partition sheet largely as a carrier for a mass of the account leaves in swinging them from;380

one side of the binder to the other on the prongs. The double-thickness and creased edge enable him to select and Vhandle the partition sheet more easily and otherwise more satisfactorily and vided permits a much more vigorous and rapid operation, and affords greater life to the sheet in service.

Such sheets are ordinarily provided with index tabs as 55 in Fig. l and 56 in Fig. 2. 90

rIhey are preferably applied to the main body of the sheet leaving the flap element free of attachment at such places. In Figs. 5 and 6, however, such tabs would be applied to both thicknesses of the sheet material since f5 the cover parts are secured, either integrally or by attachment, to the body at that same edge. The device as a whole will be sulficiently iexible for general usage if the cover parts be secured to the main body at or ontloo any of the fouredges defining the common shape of the cover and end parts, but preferably the attachment would be such as to permit the lia-p or cover part to move fairly frecly throughout large areas of it base or main body when the sheet as a whole iiexes normally in practice. The device I have shown herein is appropriate for binders of the kind now in general use in which a substantial amount in practice. In a binder according to some of my inventions the sheets lie substantially flat in the book, and in such uses the sheet as a whole does not require the property of flexibility to any marked extent, and for such 115 uses the cover parts as 19 and 20 of Fig. 1 might be secured to the body at various places and at all four edges thereof.

The material used in the construction may be the same as that ordinarily used for such 120 whatV is thus specifically illustrated and dia-T125 scribed as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A partition sheet of the character described comprising a substantially rectangu- `130 the notable strength pro-T relative to ther of flexing of the sheet occurs tegralv pre and area of said end lbeing' integral projections lai-sheet body having an end part, andihaving acover part substantially the vvidthof theY sheet body and being' face. to face With said end part, With means in the form of inssed-up projections carried by one of said parts providing a substantial thickening'i of the sheet. at least substantially throughout the general area of. said cover part.

2. A partition sheet of the character described comprisinga substantially rectangular sheet body having an end part, and having a cover part substantially of the shape and area of said end part, being face to face With said end part, and being secured thereto, with means on one of said parts providing a substantial thickening of the sheet as a Whole substantially throughout the area of the said end part.

3. A partition sheet of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular sheet body having an end part and having a cover part substantially of the shape part, being face to face with said end part and being integral therewith along an edge thereof, said cover part being folded over upon said end part at said edge, and means carried by one of said parts providing a substantial thickening of the sheet as a whole substantially throughout the area of said end part.

4e. A partition sheet of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular sheet body, there being an end part of the sheet adjacent to each end thereof, a covering part extending integrally from the body at one end thereof and being folded over face to face with one of said end parts of the sheet body, the line of fold defining an end edge of the sheet when same is applied to the binder for use, and integral pressed-up projections formed in one of said parts and adapted to provide a substantial thickening of the sheet as a Whole substantially throughout the area of the end part thereof covered by said cover part.

5. A partition sheet for loose-leaf binders of the character described comprising a substantially rectangular main body sheet having means at a side edge portion thereof for holding it in the binder, and comprising a middle part, an upper end part and a loWer end part, a cover part for each of said end parts' and overlying the same respectively throughout their general areas, said cover parts being attached to t-he sheet body, there terial substantially throughout the general areas of the sheet as a Whole Where said end 'parts are covered by the cover parts to provide a substantial thickening of the sheet at said areas.

6. A partition sheet of the character described for loose-leaf binders, comprising a 5 sheet body substantially rectangular and'havformed in the may ALFRED M. MARTIN..

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